LOCAL COLLEGE SIGNINGS

FHS's Mazzurco finds the right fit

Forest's Anthony Mazzurco finished his senior season with an ERA under 1.00, while tossing four complete games with 52 strikeouts and just 21 walks over 57 1/3 innings. He also won his first nine decisions on his way to a stellar 9-1 season.

Published: Monday, May 20, 2013 at 3:10 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, May 20, 2013 at 3:10 p.m.

He won’t blow you away with his measurables — he’s somewhere south of 6-foot, and well below 200 pounds. And his stuff doesn’t wow scouts who rely on their radar gun.

But the unflappable lefty managed to put together one of the best years ever by a Forest High pitcher in 2013 when he won his first nine decisions on his way to a stellar 9-1 season. The Wildcat ace finished with an ERA under 1.00, while tossing four complete games with 52 strikeouts and just 21 walks over 57 1/3 innings.

Still, his college options were limited.

“That sits in the back of my mind all the time,” Mazzurco said of being an undervalued prospect. “But as long as I get outs and I know I’m progressing and doing what I’m supposed to, I don’t worry about it at all. I just try to use it as motivation.”

That determined attitude is one of the things that grabbed the attention of Lake-Sumter State College head coach Josh Holt, who showed up at Forest to watch his newest pitcher sign his paperwork last week.

“I like Anthony’s toughness and how he competes on the mound,” Holt said. “He went from only throwing a few innings his junior year to being their No. 1 guy this year. I think that shows his work ethic and character to keep improving.”

And Holt, who handled the LakeHawks pitching staff before getting the head job this season, would know. The 2012 LSSC staff posted the lowest team ERA (3.78) in program history. Five pitchers had ERAs under 4 that season, and eight pitchers from that staff moved on to a four-year school, which is also a single-season record at LSSC.

So when the southpaw got his offer from Holt, he pounced on it.

“I felt like (LSSC) was a really good fit for me,” Mazzurco said. “It’s a small town kind of like Ocala, and the coaching staff is great.

“I just want to stay focused and on top of things like I’ve been doing for the past couple of years. Try not to get distracted and focus on baseball as much as I can.”

Mazzurco said he plans to shut down his arm for the summer and focus on getting stronger in the weightroom. After that, he sees no reason why he can’t continue to be just as dominant in college.

“I definitely hope to be the best pitcher in the whole division,” he said.

<p>Anthony Mazzurco knows how to pitch. It's as simple as that, really.</p><p>He won't blow you away with his measurables — he's somewhere south of 6-foot, and well below 200 pounds. And his stuff doesn't wow scouts who rely on their radar gun.</p><p>But the unflappable lefty managed to put together one of the best years ever by a Forest High pitcher in 2013 when he won his first nine decisions on his way to a stellar 9-1 season. The Wildcat ace finished with an ERA under 1.00, while tossing four complete games with 52 strikeouts and just 21 walks over 57 1/3 innings.</p><p>Still, his college options were limited.</p><p>“That sits in the back of my mind all the time,” Mazzurco said of being an undervalued prospect. “But as long as I get outs and I know I'm progressing and doing what I'm supposed to, I don't worry about it at all. I just try to use it as motivation.”</p><p>That determined attitude is one of the things that grabbed the attention of Lake-Sumter State College head coach Josh Holt, who showed up at Forest to watch his newest pitcher sign his paperwork last week.</p><p>“I like Anthony's toughness and how he competes on the mound,” Holt said. “He went from only throwing a few innings his junior year to being their No. 1 guy this year. I think that shows his work ethic and character to keep improving.”</p><p>And Holt, who handled the LakeHawks pitching staff before getting the head job this season, would know. The 2012 LSSC staff posted the lowest team ERA (3.78) in program history. Five pitchers had ERAs under 4 that season, and eight pitchers from that staff moved on to a four-year school, which is also a single-season record at LSSC.</p><p>So when the southpaw got his offer from Holt, he pounced on it.</p><p>“I felt like (LSSC) was a really good fit for me,” Mazzurco said. “It's a small town kind of like Ocala, and the coaching staff is great.</p><p>“I just want to stay focused and on top of things like I've been doing for the past couple of years. Try not to get distracted and focus on baseball as much as I can.”</p><p>Mazzurco said he plans to shut down his arm for the summer and focus on getting stronger in the weightroom. After that, he sees no reason why he can't continue to be just as dominant in college.</p><p>“I definitely hope to be the best pitcher in the whole division,” he said.</p>